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Tensions rose and excitement grew as the most powerful nations of the Old World set out to discover new lands in the East. Like many other, so too did Henri La Valette leave his domains in northern Oleon and sailed off. First, he visited his holdings on LeBellan and gathered some more men there and then finally went on to discover the unknown. Crossing the Sea of Storms however, both of Henri's vessel were struck by a powerful storm. Battered by heavy rainfall and blown off course by violent winds, Henri and his men were lost at sea. Having great difficulty assessing their position in these uncharted waters, they nevertheless pushed forward, dreaming of gold and newfound riches.
Finally they found land, but it was not what they had in mind at all. It was nowhere near as tropical as LeBellan. In fact, it was cold and it reminded them more of home than some other place. Henri sent out a foraging party, but when they didn't return after a great amount of time, he decided to go out by himself and some of his men to try and find his lost soldiers.
The undergrowth was thick and the air was cold. Patches of snow dotted the landscape and the party experienced a lot of difficulty trying to make their way through the pine trees. On top of that, Henri felt like he was being watched with every step he took on this Gods-forsaken island. What madness lies within these forests?
So here's my build for the first Challenge. It's not that big, I know, but it's been a while since I had my hand at some landscaping so I wanted to try that here. I tried making an irregular base, but the result isn't completely to my liking. I hope it's okay that the island is more snow-y and winter-y, or does it absolutely have to be more caribbean style?

First Chapter: The Heart of Darkness (Land Ho!)
I am on the run.
The Realm of Hades is real for I have seen it. I witnessed the demons that lived therein and now I run. What have we done to earn this curse from the Gods?
Like many others we set out to discover new lands, which we eventually did, but it was not at all as expected. Together with several other men I was sent out to forage and explore our surroundings by my Lord and Commander of the expedition: the blessed Henri Antoine La Valette, de la Rocheforte. May the Gods watch over this noble man. We should've known this land was cursed from the start. At first sight it looks and feels like home. The cold, the snow, the pine trees. Yet around every corner there lurks something new and it changes our entire experience of this land. Above all, though, the desolateness and primeval wildness gives me the creeps. All one can hear is the creaking of trees, the howling of the wind and the movement of nature in general. These forests are alive, but we know not with what.
Our group hit a small body of water and decided to take a break. We heard the singing of birds, which we had not heard before. We admired the sounds, but they were like the sounds of the mythical sirens, only meant to enthrall us. Before we knew it, several of our troops fell down and arrows whizzed around us. Out of the tree line they came, painted devils, servants of Hades. Cruel heathen dogs. I scurried away and saw them slaughter and enslave my comrades. They cut off their scalps and proudly displayed them as trophies while yelling bestial shrieks. They stole our blue coats and wore them to mock us. Despite the cold, many were dressed in nothing but leathers and some even went bare-chested. Their head was shaven, bare for a spiked ridge across their skull and their faces and bodies were festooned with hellish markings.
I was lucky to be able to scurry away. Who knows what my fate would've been? May Zeus bless my journey so I can make it back to Henri and recount what I have witnessed.
Two unedited pictures:

Henri begins most of his days by surveying and visiting his domains and the homesteads he owns. The commoners appreciate their lord coming down from his castle and visit them, which creates a bond of loyalty and sense of community amongst the peasants and the beloved La Valette, de la Rocheforte family. Religious as Oleon is, the countryside and roads are littered with small wayshrines invoking the praise of one, or more, Saints and Deities, watching over travellers and protecting the land.
Here, Henri Antoine pays his respect to a wayshrine of Zeus to invoke his blessings and guide him during his coming endeavors. This wayshrine was only recently build, commissioned by the La Valette family themselves.
It's a very small MOC to sort of introduce my character. It's not really his natural habitat, but it is an important aspect of his (family's) life. The pictures are kind of crappy, though . I really need to get me some of those decent white lightbulbs. The ones I have always give off this yellow-ish lighting instead of white...